Footwear having a post or strap that fits between the wearer's toes and which contributes to the engagement between the wearer's foot and the footwear article has been known literally for ages. One especially popular embodiment includes a pair of straps fastened to the post, arching back over the wearer's instep and terminating at the sole of the article midway between the ball of the foot and the heel. The three points of attachment—the post and the two straps gives rise to the “three point” identifier. Current culture at many levels values this design as simple, utilitarian and fashionable. Over the last fifty years, millions if not billions of pairs of simple beachwear “flip-flops” and other casual shoes and sandals have been marketed. While these footwear items of the art are often inexpensive, popular and stylish they are often marketed and purchased with the basic understanding that they are disposable and that they provide minimal structure and protection to any surfaces of the wearer's foot other than his or her soles. By this invention we provide three point footwear articles that are more structured and protective of their wearers' feet.
The following United States Patents relate to footwear of this general class: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,928,191; 1,386,684; 2,193,943; 4,535,554; D278,946; D453,611; and D486,297.